President Donald Trump heads to The Vatican and Brussels on Wednesday, after wrapping up a trip to the Middle East, which started in Saudi Arabia and ended in Israel. The President delivered a speech on his vision for U.S.-Muslim relations in Riyadh, before heading to Jerusalem. There, he pledged to get Arab-Israeli talks back on track, after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas. So, what was President Trump’s message? And was the Middle East trip a success? The Cipher Brief’s Leone Lakhani asked Ambassador Dennis Ross, Counselor at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and a former senior Middle East adviser to three U.S. presidents.
The Cipher Brief: What would you say was the mission of President Trump’s trip to the Middle East, and did he succeed? His first stop was Saudi Arabia. Was that an attempt to reset relations with the traditional Arab allies? Why is that important?
Dennis Ross: The trip was designed to symbolically demonstrate the difference from President Barack Obama, especially on showing that we are aligned with our traditional friends. This means the leading Sunni Arabs and Israelis.
Re-establishing the link with and the confidence of the Sunni Arabs is essential for drawing them more into the conflict with ISIS. We cannot discredit ISIS – only Sunnis can do that. We need them to discredit this ideology, and we need them to provide for the reconstruction which is necessary after ISIS is defeated in both Raqqa and Mosul. We also need them to do more to reach out to the Iraqi government in order to bolster it.
TCB: He also sent a message to all parties on fighting terror? Was that enough?
DR: President Trump offered a broad message that was also designed to say we are partners against a barbaric ideology. In his words, this struggle is not between civilizations or faiths but with an evil ideology. That message was very well stated. But good governance is also important and ensuring that and a sense of hope are essential antidotes to terror. So, a follow-up on the speech and in these new fora will be necessary.
TCB: The President met not only with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but also Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas. He sees himself as a deal-maker, who’s committed to finding an Arab-Israeli agreement. It takes more than rhetoric, of course. Was any progress made towards a resumption of meaningful talks given that Israelis and Palestinians haven’t held any talks for three years?
DR: It is not clear whether any progress was made, in order not just to re-establish negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians, but to lay a foundation for those talks, so they can actually lead somewhere if they resume. Time will tell on this, but a key will be being able to show that the renewal of diplomacy is accompanied by tangible steps and or statements by the Israelis and Palestinians and Arabs that show that something is different this time.
TCB: There were views expressed early in the Administration that inflamed emotions in the region – the intention to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, for instance. Actions speak louder than words. Is the Administration sending out the right signals, as it strives for some kind of agreement?
DR: The Administration seems to have restored relations and confidence for now with the Israelis, Palestinians and Arabs, and that is good. Soon it will need to show this is producing new behaviors and new cooperation.
TCB: Where should the U.S. be now in its relations with Iran?
DR: [Iranian President Hassan] Rouhani has raised expectations within Iran that will be difficult to meet. He wants to end U.S. sanctions on the non-nuclear issues, and that would require changing Iranian behavior in the region and in human rights. Can he change the behavior of the IRGC [The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] Qods forces, its use of Shia militias, the export of weapons, and threats to the Arab governments in the region? Can he change the role of the judiciary in Iran and create greater freedoms? I am dubious, but the Administration should make clear changes in these areas will produce positive responses from us.
